SeaWhippet wrote:I'm curious if anyone has still shots or video of trains on BTMRR being moved from the main line onto the spur that leads across the tracks of the Walt Disney World Railroad to the ride' s maintenance shed ? On a recent trip to WDW, I noticed the switch and chain lift employed to bring BTMRR trains back up and over the tracks.-S

It is an interesting setup - trains can only be moved when there is a stream train sitting in the Frontierland station otherwise it triggers an E-Stop for the steam trains. Unless there is maintenance reasons its rare to see it happen during the day as the ride usually runs the same number of trains for a better part of the day and there is room to store two trains between the station and the steam train tracks if they need to take one off. So usually one is removed and sits there waiting for the steam train to close for the night. BTMRR has one block between the storage shed and the steam trains, then two between the steam train tracks and the station. Worlds longest transfer track?

SeaWhippet wrote:I'm curious if anyone has still shots or video of trains on BTMRR being moved from the main line onto the spur that leads across the tracks of the Walt Disney World Railroad to the ride' s maintenance shed ? On a recent trip to WDW, I noticed the switch and chain lift employed to bring BTMRR trains back up and over the tracks.-S

It is an interesting setup - trains can only be moved when there is a stream train sitting in the Frontierland station otherwise it triggers an E-Stop for the steam trains. Unless there is maintenance reasons its rare to see it happen during the day as the ride usually runs the same number of trains for a better part of the day and there is room to store two trains between the station and the steam train tracks if they need to take one off. So usually one is removed and sits there waiting for the steam train to close for the night. BTMRR has one block between the storage shed and the steam trains, then two between the steam train tracks and the station. Worlds longest transfer track?

It is a rather ingenious setup and probably DOES qualify as the world's longest transfer track. I find the operation quite fascinating. Might you have photos or videos of the process in action?

Guests visiting Magic Kingdom Park tonight are in for a real Halloween treat. For the first time in the park’s history, Mickey will be talking with guests and testing some new tricks backstage at Town Square Theater.

Because tonight’s test is open to a very limited number of guests – Mickey and his pals at Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, and Walt Disney Imagineering helped us create this video to share with all of you.

Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid is one of several attractions currently under construction in the New Fantasyland expansion of Magic Kingdom Park.This is a very exciting time as various elements are currently being installed in the attraction. Walt Disney Imagineers are currently putting the finishing touches on a sweeping seaside mural that will welcome guests to the load-in area of this attraction.

This video, provided by WDI, shows how Imagineers created an experimental process using digital technology to design the mural, and then used portable tablets to guide them in the artistic process when it came time to put paint on canvas.How do you think it turned out?

Change the scheme, Alter the mood! Electrify the boys and girls if you would be so kind!

I'm very impressed yet for some reason I think this technology should have been developed already. Are they going to tell you when they will have the new costumes? It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

CP Fanboy until... I visited CP"We have to get the hamsters to run a little faster."- Joe Maddon

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — WFTV has obtained a new National Transportation and Safety Board report about the deadly monorail crash at Walt Disney World two years ago.

The NTSB report found Disney World was at fault. It seems just a moment of inattention caused this crash.

The report placed responsibility squarely on one of the monorail's panel operators, and one of its managers for the accident that killed 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg. It included a telling new photo of the damage.

The report found that the monorail's primary panel shifter essentially got briefly distracted in the wee hours of July 5, 2009.

A report of a malfunctioning door on another monorail train took his focus off shifting the tracks for Wuennenberg's inbound train.

Without that critical shift, Wuennenberg's purple monorail train slammed right into the pink monorail train as it was backing into the station.

The theme park insisted it has already made necessary changes. One of those safety improvements includes the development of standard operating procedures for the monorail.

Leading up to this accident, Disney World had no such across-the-board standards in place for the monorail.

In addition to the loss of life, the report said the monorail suffered $24 million in damage.

While I've been fortunate enough to do the "exotic car" experience in places that are far more interesting than the relatively tame and small track layout that Richard Petty provides, I think this will be a great addition to this part of WDW. I suspect that there are are a large group of driving enthusiasts like me who have no interest in doing some hot laps in a NASCAR, but would jump on the chance to play with some of the toys we'd all like to be able to own, but don't for whatever reason. I'd even go as far to say as I think this will be more popular than the current NASCAR version.

Since I can't think of any witty way to segway from that comment into the NTSB monorail report, I'll just say it makes for a very informative read. The accident was a terrible event, but I suggest that anyone who has even a passing interest in the WDW monorail system check it out. The report is very comprehensive. Thanks for posting this chadster.

Must question, how does it work though? Do they use a voice manipulator? Surely they aren't all pre-recorded messages and all?

My minds a little bit blown by that, well done Imagineers, well done.

From the videos that have been previously posted, WDI has been testing two versions of talking Mickey. The one featured in the above video clearly is using either a remote voice actor or voice manipulator. There are other videos posted from Disneyland where you can tell Mickey's responses are limited to pre-selected choices (like a soundboard). Here's to hoping WDI takes the technology far enough that Mickey can say whatever he'd like to.

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